England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating France 6-4 in a thrilling 10-goal encounter at Miami Stadium.
Bukayo Saka was the star of the match, scoring a sensational hat-trick as England raced into a 4-0 first-half lead through goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and Saka. France mounted a remarkable comeback in the second half, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice and Bradley Barcola adding another to reduce the deficit, but England held their nerve. Jude Bellingham sealed the victory with a stoppage-time goal after Saka had completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
The victory earned Thomas Tuchel's side the bronze medal and marked England's best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966. Despite France's defeat, Mbappé's two goals strengthened his lead in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot.
The dramatic contest has already been hailed by many fans as one of the greatest third-place matches in World Cup history because of its incredible number of goals and dramatic swings in momentum.
This was England's first medal at the World Cup after winning the trophy in 1966